Strictly Salsa | Home Page

Welcome to the Strictly Salsa website, the home of Salsa in Sydney

Xmas Party Dec08-Photos/Vids

Private Classes - 2009

Fiesta 08 - Photos & Videos

Dance Shoes and Clothing

Click here to find the best dance shoes in Sydney for beginners and professionals.

Beginners Information

Private Classes

If you want to improve your dancing faster or don't have time to attend weekly group classes. Why not book one of our instructors (see below). All our instructors can be book for private classes. This can be for 1 student or a private group - 10 to 20 students.

If you would like to know more click here.

Strictly Salsa teachers 2009

Do you have a Venue?

Do you have a venue that you would like Strictly Salsa to teach at. We can arrange for the teachers, music and the advertising to get the students to come down to your venue.

We are very interested to work with new venues such as bars that have a great floor to dance on and want to attract new patrons.

Please click here and leave us a message if you want more details.

Bachata DVD (Downunder)

Strictly Salsa as joined forces with Salsa Vibes to create a 2 1/2 hour instructional DVD for Bachata.

Bachata is all the craze in Sydney and this DVD can get you swaying to the rhythms of this wonderful dance.

Student Testimonials...

I had never really thought about doing salsa until about 15 months ago. I went to my first lesson thinking I had two left feet and I would just give it a go and see what it was like.

When I turned up I was told I would know after a few lessons if I liked it - I was hooked in about 5 minutes. The teachers are amazing at Strictly - they are great at breaking down the moves from the easiest to the really technical, and the best thing about it is they make it so much fun.

They have a great relaxed style and that kept me coming back for more. They also give you confidence and help with the small things you don't think about to make you a better dancer. They also give you confidence to stretch yourself and I have been lucky enough to be in a few performances, which I never would have thought I would do.

I have enjoyed every minute working with Gary, Mel and Kel that now all I want to do is learn to teach. Going to Strictly is the best thing I have done in years and I would recommend going to anyone.

Andrew

About Strictly Salsa
Strictly Salsa have classes in Surry Hills and Ultimo. They also have a range of fantastic Salsa DVDs to help students learn this sensual and exciting dance! They offer something for everyone! Strictly Salsa has a growing team of highly trained instructors, who not only take you through weekly classes but are available for private lessons, workshops, shows and demonstrations!

New 8 Week Courses for 2009

All our courses last for 8 weeks, you do not need a partner to enroll and we always try to ensure we have an even number of guys and girls.

Location	Courses	Start Date
Surry Hills	LA Salsa - Levels 1, 2	Mon 15^th June 09
Surry Hills	Cuban Salsa - Levels 1, 2	Thu 25^th June 09
Ultimo	Cuban Salsa - Advanced	Sat 27th June 09

New Casual / Drop In Classes for 2009

Location	Casual Classes / Drop In	Day
Ultimo	Bachata Classes - Levels 1, 2	Every Tuesday
Ultimo	Cuban Salsa - Level 1, 2	Every Monday

For a list of our forthcoming classes please click here.

New Advanced Cuban Salsa Class

Our new advanced Salsa course will be run on Saturday mornings from 10am to 11am at Steps Dance Studio in Ultimo.

Our new venue is in the heart of the city and has a great wooden floor and loads of parking. Click on the image above for more details and registration form.

New Level 1 and Level 2 Cuban Salsa Courses

New DVD - Released 7^th March 09

This DVD is absolutely wicked. Aimed directly at Intermediate to Advanced LA/On1 salsa dancers.

If you ever wanted to pull off flashy turn patterns in clubs and impress your friends with impressive turn patterns then this is the DVD for you. The video contains 10 awesome 'Wicked Turn Patterns' specifically selected by Gary and Kelli for this DVD.

Click here for more details

Strictly Salsa Performance Team - Latest Show

Corporate Packages

Strictly Salsa is one of the leading dance schools in the Sydney Salsa scene with a team of professional salsa instructors and performers headed by Melissa Penn and Gary Wilson.

Strictly Salsa can provide your complete entertainment package for corporate events, birthday parites, weddings or any party you are having! We can provide fantastic shows, interative lessons, DJs, Bands... everything you need for a fantastic party! Click on the links above to learn about classes, workshops and performances, as well as heaps of other useful information for any aspiring Salsa dancer.

Learn Salsa at home with our superb range of DVDs

Our comprehensive range of DVDs can be used to learn at home on your own or with your partner. The DVDs can also be used to practise your moves between classes to help you get better faster.

Click here for a full listing

Salsa is a great way to meet new friends

You don't need a friend to join any of our courses. All our classes are fun and have a very friendly atmosphere. Our teachers focus on getting everyone to enjoy themselves whilst learning this fantastic dance.

For a full listing of our classes click here

Styles of Salsa and Levels we teach

There are 3 major styles of salsa danced in Sydney

Los Angeles Style (LA) (Also called On1)
Cuban Style
New York Style (Also called On2)

Cuban salsa is where Salsa all began. The dancers in LA adopted and changed the dance to be more linear. Strictly Salsa teaches both Cuban and LA style as these are the most popular in Sydney.

We teach level 1 for beginners then level 2 followed by level 3. There are three (very) different courses for Level 2, A, B and C. The A, B and C courses are all at the same difficulty level, just different moves. All students are encouraged to complete all courses. We also have 3 level 3s and once again students.

When you have completed our courses you may wish to join our performance team or train with us to become a teacher yourself.

The best Salsa clips from YouTube

Just clik on the image above to see the videos

Recommended Nightclubs in Sydney

Learning Salsa but don't know where to go to dance. Try these hotspots to get your latin blood racing.

Sunday Night
Martini Bar, Norton Street, Leichhardt
DJ Coco plays a mix of Salsa, Bachata and Merengue with a touch of Samba and Reggaeton. You will often see a gang of Strictly Salsa students carving up the dance floor.
FREE - No cover charge

Tuesday Night
Establishment Hotel, 252 George street, Sydney CBD
DJ WillieSabor plays a mix of Salsa, Bachata and Merengue with a touch of Samba and Reggaeton.
FREE - No cover charge

Wednesday Night
At Coolabar with DJ Dean from 9pm till midnight.
247 Pitt Street (next door to monorail)
$10 Entry!

Thursday Night
Salsa On The Rocks with DJ D.C.Escobar @ Cruise Bar
Location: Playing every Thursday night at the Cruise bar, Overseas Passenger Terminal, West Circular Quay.
Cost: FREE!

The Sydney Salsa scene has come a long way! Ten years ago, the best you could do was go to "La Campana", have some tapas and watch the local band playing Latin music.

Fascinated by their dancing, you may have approached them to ask what they were dancing, to which they would have replied, "Salsa". Then, you would ask, "Where could I learn?" A typical answer would have been; "I grew up with Salsa. It is in my blood and I dont really know how to show you - just feel the rhythm"!

In the early 90s, things started to change. A Brazilian musician & composer, Jose Prates, arrived. He had toured the world and decided to settle in Sydney, where he became Sydneys first well-known Salsa teacher. This marked the beginning of the Sydney Salsa scene.

Now every week hundreds of Sydney Salsa lovers gather at various clubs and venues around the city, passionately embracing this magical rhythm of Salsa, which is as exhilarating as it is addictive. Yes, the Sydney Salsa scene is small, but it is exciting and is growing every year.

Where will Sydney be in another ten years? One can look at other international cities to gauge where Sydney may be heading. Salsa capitals in Europe, like London, Barcelona, Rome and Paris enjoy at least twenty or so Salsa venues each. Maybe, given another 10 years, well be able to catch up with these other cities.

Against the backdrop of continuous development in the international Salsa scene, Sydney will soon find itself connected with the rest of the world.

Y que viva la Salsa!

This website is your guide to Strictly Salsa, Sydney's leading Salsa dance school.